The girl who was sung from a tree
by Cuchulain-Setanta
Summary: Deep in the forest of Fangorn, there sits an ancient tree. This tree has been chosen for something special, something that has not happened before. From this tree a girl will rise, a girl who will follow a king and help win the war against the evil spreading from Mordor. (Prequel to: The girl who followed the king.)
1. Chapter 1

Fangorn was known to many as the forest of gloom and darkness. The forest where strange things happened to those who entered. The forest where only the mad ventured and few who went in ever came out. It was only a few centuries ago that the Elves had taught the trees of Fangorn how to speak and move. Now one of the most ancient trees was chosen for a special task. The Elf who had decided to attempt this feat, stepped up to the tree and placed his hand upon it; he smiled as the tree greeted him and let him know that it was ready for the attempt. The Elf began to sing, to sing a song of life and joy.

For four and a half days, the Elf and tree remained in contact with one another, and the Elf did not stop singing. His song was entwined with an ancient magic, which the trees helped channel from the very air around them. Then after the sun had reached its zenith on the fifth day, it happened. The trunk of the ancient tree rippled and a small crack appeared in the center. The crack widened golden light spilling out of the crack and shining out across the clearing. The light grew brighter, blinding the Elf momentarily, and then it was gone. The crack was sealed and at the base of the most ancient tree, laid an Elf maiden. She had emerged fully clothed in a dress green as the leaves of this ancient tree. Her hair was black as night, her figure was lithe, as all Elves were. Yet there was something different about this particular Elf. Even so soon after she emerged from the tree, he could sense the specialness of this Elf, he knew that she was important, though he was not sure why.

He removed his hand from the tree, and smiled widely down at this new Elf, this Elf that he had created with song and magic. As he gazed down at the unconscious Elf maid, a sense of doom came over him, and he knew that what he had done would not come without a great price. He would give his life so the maiden could have a chance at one of her own. The Elf smiled down at the maid, he knew the trees would be her guardians until she learned enough to venture out on her own. His only sadness came from knowing that he could not be there to teach her anything himself. He could feel the Valar calling to him and he knew he could not tarry any longer. He bent over the unconscious figure and whispered her name into her ear. Then he departed through the trees, never to be seen or heard from, again.

* * *

Freya slowly opened her eyes and she gazed around in wonder at the different colors, textures, plants, and insects. Her eyes were large blue-green pools flecked with gold; the gold of the sunlight which fell through the branches of the trees to illuminate the forest floor. Slowly she sat up, and looked around at her surroundings. Her large eyes wide as she attempted to take in all the sights of the forest. Freya saw the leafy-moss covered trees, the large-fragrant flowers, the rough-stone of the rocks, the water running merrily down the streams. She saw the way that the sunlight filtered down through the dense branches and leaves, to pool on the carpet of fallen leaves. Freya sat up straighter, as she heard the trees singing around her. She heard them talk to one another, she understood them, and she found that she could speak to them.

In one smooth motion, she got to her feet and turned her face upwards to see as far up the enormous tree, as she could. Freya felt that there was something special about this tree, she felt closer to this particular tree than to any other. This was _her_ tree, she knew that the instant that she placed her hand upon the rough bark of the tree. She wondered what it would be like to be at the top of the tree, how high was it from the ground? Freya didn't have to think about it, she simply leapt and then she was sitting among the uppermost branches of her tree. She looked out over the vast expanse of Fangorn, the trees stretched as far as she could see in nearly every direction. There was only one place where the forest was not there, and that place was occupied by a tower of black stone. For a long while, she stared at the tower. It did not seem right to her, she did not think the tower was a good place, or if it was…then it would not remain one.

She stayed up there well into the night, counting the stars and listening to the trees as they sang to one another.

* * *

Time meant nothing to the trees of Fangorn, and so it meant nothing to Freya. What did trees care for seasons, or gaining another year in age? They cared about the sun, rain, life, and occasionally the destruction of orcs who came to cut down a tree. Freya had no contact with anyone or anything outside of Fangorn; she had not even met another Elf. Yet that would change, and the meeting with another Elf, would change her as well.

The day she met an Elf by the name of "Tharadain", she had been wandering the hidden paths of Fangorn and trying to find the guardians which the trees sometimes spoke of. Freya moved slowly through the trees, not attracting attention and not startling any of the wildlife she came across. This was how she saw him long before he noticed her. She watched him and wondered where he was going to in such a hurry. Freya knew that he was an Elf, and she was curious as to what he was doing in her forest. Not that she minded, it was just odd to see another Elf.

**Alright, so this is the prequel to: The girl who followed the king. It is about how Raven came to be and parts of her life in Fangorn before her abduction. This story will probably not be very long, as I simply wanted to give an overview of her life. I hope that it is enjoyable, any feedback would be great. Thank you so much.**


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Freya followed him for nearly a league before he noticed her. When he did, he was startled and couldn't seem to believe his eyes. He approached her with caution—as one would a wild animal—she decided to humor him and stay put as he slowly advanced. The Elf slowed down his approach, and Freya decided that now would be a great time to back away as though she was frightened of him.

She ducked behind a tree and hid a smile, as she hid from the Elf who thought she was afraid. For some reason she found it quite funny that this Elf thought she would be afraid, especially since she had no reason to be. After all he was no orc; he was one of her kind, one of the fair folk. Perhaps she could have a little more fun with him, he was—if nothing else—very entertaining. Freya stealthily moved away from the tree she had ducked behind, and crept a little ways away from him…farther into the forest. She knew that she would tire of this game eventually and then she would have to figure out why he was here. But for now, this was too fun to simply let him know that she was not afraid of him.

She crouched in the dense underbrush, watching him come around the tree and search for her. Freya smiled wider, knowing that he would not find her unless she jumped out in front of him; the trees had taught her many things, and one of those things was how to remain unseen. Once he passed her, she began following him through Fangorn forest.

Freya followed the Elf for a couple hours, then he stopped and shook his head, giving up on following her. She sighed—a little sad that the game was over—then she crept out of the shadows, walked silently up behind him and said.

"You know, I am not afraid of you."

This caused the Elf she had been following, to spin around and look at her in amazement. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at her. Freya stared right back at him, though she stared at him with barely concealed amusement. It was several moments before he managed to pull find his voice and speak.

"You…you aren't? Then why have you been hiding from me?"

Freya tilted her head to the side and said matter-of-factly. "It was fun."

The strange Elf was taken aback by her answer and he stared at her incredulously. His mouth opened and closed a few times, then it remained closed. The Elf stared at her, as though he had never before seen anything quite like her. Freya decided that maybe she should say something else, something that perhaps this Elf could respond to.

"My name is Freya. I live here in Fangorn forest. Not many Elves, or Men for that matter, come here." As she spoke she blew irritably at one of the stray curls which had fallen over her face, and this caused the other Elf to smile.

When he wasn't startled beyond words, his voice was deep and rich. It reminded Freya of the way that the trees sometimes spoke to each other and she had to remind herself to pay attention to his words instead of the deepness of his voice.

"Well, Lady Freya, my name is Tharadain. I hail from the northern forests of Mirkwood. I have ventured here to see if the tales of trees that speak, are true. I did not expect to find anyone living here…least of all someone who I could neither find nor hear when they follow me."

She thought about what he had said, how he came from a forest in the north, and he wanted to know about Fangorn. Freya supposed that she ought to have known that Fangorn could not be the only forest in the world, yet she had never really given much thought to what could lie beyond her forest. She knew that the tower lay on the outskirts of Fangorn, and that there were mountains visible to the west. Other than that, she knew very little about the outside world. The vast forest of Fangorn was her world, and she did not see any reason to venture outside of it. Yet obviously this Elf…Tharadain, lived in his own forest and he had ventured out of it. Perhaps there was something out there that was worth seeing, yet she could not imagine what that could possibly be. The trees may know the answer to this. Then something that Tharadain had said, made her look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Of course the trees speak to one another, why shouldn't they? They speak to me as well."

If he had been surprised before, now he was stunned. She could speak to the trees, and they actually did speak to each other? He had heard the stories—as nearly all Elves had—of how centuries ago, a group of Elves taught the trees of Fangorn to talk to one another.

"I meant no disrespect to either you or the esteemed trees of Fangorn. There are no other trees, in any of the forests, which are capable of speech. My most sincere apologies, if I have offended you." Tharadain bowed to the trees around him, wanting them to know that he had meant no offense.

Freya sighed, and stepped closer to take his hand. She spoke without any hostility as she took his hand in hers.

"Come. I will show you Fangorn. Then you can hear them for yourself."

He smiled gratefully, and she led him deeper into Fangorn. Showing him the many different trees, the way that they moved when they spoke, and she showed him many of her favorite places. Thus began the close friendship between Freya and Tharadain. From that day forth, neither of them strayed very far from the other, and each day they became closer as their relationship grew.

**Alright, so this is the prequel to: The girl who followed the king. It is about how Raven came to be and parts of her life in Fangorn before her abduction. This story will probably not be very long, as I simply wanted to give an overview of her life. I hope that it is enjoyable, any feedback would be great. Thank you so much.**


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Over the years that they spent together, Tharadain taught her that it was alright to be "hasty" in some instances, and Freya taught him the secrets of the forest. Together they discovered her control over most plant life, and Tharadain helped her to learn how to use it at will. Freya tried to teach him how to speak to the trees and how to understand them, however he could not quite understand them as well as she had hoped that he would be able to. He could understand their moods, their feelings, and some of their words, yet he could not understand the majority of what they said. Freya was a little concerned that he could not understand the trees as she could, she thought that perhaps with more time he would be able to better understand them.

Though they spent much of their time together, Freya could easily become irritated with Tharadain and his over-protective behavior towards her. She knew how to take care of herself; she had lived alone in Fangorn for many years before he had come, and she had survived this long hadn't she? She had not fallen from the tallest tree, she had not gotten lost in the gloom of Fangorn, she had been watchful and had not been seen by anything that she did not want to be seen by. Yet, Tharadain acted as though she was an elfling who did not know how to do things the right way, he grew anxious the higher up she climbed, and he was always worried that she would get lost. Freya had explained this to him numerous times, and he still treated her as though she were a young elfling. Freya often went off on her own, staying still and out of sight of Tharadain, for days at a time she would stay hidden from sight somewhere deep in her forest. These were the times when she most missed being on her own, the times when she wanted to once more be the only Elf in Fangorn.

Then the days of solitude would pass, she would find Tharadain wherever he was in the forest, and they would spend the next few days together wandering the hidden paths of Fangorn. Other than those occasions, the two of them were inseparable, they were the closest of friends, and it seemed that there may be something more there as well. At night they lay upon the carpet of fallen leaves and looked up through the branches to see the stars. They would lie there watching them dance their way across the sky, neither of them speaking until the first light of the sun chased the stars away.

* * *

As the years passed, Freya could feel herself growing steadily closer to Tharadain…she felt more for him than she had before. She felt something deeper for him, something that she could not quite explain. They had begun having closer contact with one another, and one night as they watched the stars, Freya felt Tharadain watching her instead. She turned to find him mere inches from her face and watching her intently. Freya felt her lips rise into a half smile which was returned a little nervously. Tharadain slowly moved the last few inches and kissed her lightly. Freya did not know what to do in this situation, so she did the one thing that felt right, she kissed him back.

Tharadain's mouth pressed a little more on hers and she responded in kind. The next thin that Freya knew, Tharadain was above her, their kisses growing more passionate, and his hands moving down her body. He drew back and looked into her eyes, staring into her very soul. They stayed that way for a long moment, simply staring into one another's eyes. Then he smiled and moved away from her to lie back upon the leaves. Freya slowly sat up, confusion evident upon her face. Tharadain saw it and simply smiled a little sadly, before looking back up at the stars.

He did not kiss her again, nor did he offer any explanation as to why he stopped. Whenever she asked him about it, he would shake his head and walk deeper into Fangorn. After a while she quit asking, yet there were times when he would stop whatever he had been doing, walk away from her, and into the trees. Freya did not know what to think about his actions, and they bothered her…perhaps more than they should have.

On one such day Freya followed him, as silently as she could, wanting to see where he was going. It was a testament to her skill at remaining silent and hidden, that Tharadain never noticed her. Freya followed him for many leagues, before she heard something odd, and froze mid-step. In that moment, she hesitated. And in her hesitation, Tharadain moved out of sight and she heard the odd sound once more. Freya made a decision that would drastically alter the course of her life. Freya turned from the direction that Tharadain was going, following instead, the sound she had never heard before.

She moved silently through the forest, moving from tree branch to tree branch, following the odd sound further towards the edge of Fangorn. Freya did not realize how close she had gotten to the tower of black stone, she did notice a man dressed entirely in white, holding a tall white staff and an odd looking sphere. It was the sphere that was making the odd noise; it was screeching and creating a low rumble which could be felt through the earth. She knew that whatever this was, was very bad. It was evil, and she could not let it into her forest.

Freya moved through the branches until she was directly over the sphere, then she focused enough to control the branch below her and use it to hit the sphere out of the man's hand and as far away as possible. The man clothed in white looked up angrily, searching the trees until he found her. The man glared menacingly at her, he raised his staff, muttered a few strange words, and then she was falling from the tree to land hard on the ground. She could not breathe, she could barely move. Freya gasped for air, but was unable to find any. Then something that looked suspiciously like an orc; came forward and spoke to the man in white. Freya could not hear properly, yet she knew that the man told the orc something, for his mouth moved. The last thing that she saw was the orc bringing the hilt of a crudely made sword, down towards her face; then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

When she woke she could see nothing, nothing at all. She could feel metal encircling her wrists and ankles. She tried to move stand, but whatever was around her wrists prevented her from doing so. She fell back to the hard ground which seemed to be made entirely of stone. She felt empty, hollow, as though something important had been taken from her. That was when she realized that she did not know who she was, she did not know what she was, and she did not even know her own name. This frightened her. Of one thing she was sure, she had never been this frightened before in her life. She heard a deep voice, a voice which resonated with power, a voice which called to her and told her to sleep. A voice that told her her name. Her name was Thing. That was what the voice told her before she fell into a deep slumber.

Thing spent a few years in the constant darkness, never knowing anything but what the voice told her. And the voice only spoke of fear and loneliness. Telling her that she was alone and would always be alone, that no one wanted a thing. The day that she first saw sunlight, was the day that she was kicked awake and told to get up. That day she awoke in a different room made of stone, that day was the day that she began to serve Him.

**See, told you it would be short.**

**This is the final part of the prequel. I hope that it gave an insight into her life before she met Aragorn in Bree. Thank you for reading. I hope that it was enjoyable, any feedback would be great. Thank you so much.**


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